Board approves 8‑foot fence, opacity exception and 17‑foot setback variance at Melrose/Madera property
November 04, 2025 | Dallas, Dallas County, Texas
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The Dallas Board of Adjustment on Nov. 4 granted multiple requests from homeowner Jennifer Hiramoto for a property at 5410 Melrose Avenue, approving an 8‑foot fence and a reduced open‑surface requirement along Madera Avenue and a 17‑foot variance to the front‑yard setback.
The board approved the special exception to fence height by a 4–1 vote; it approved a special exception allowing a fence with less than 50 percent open area on Madera by a 5–0 vote and granted a 17‑foot front‑yard setback variance, also 5–0. The panel later approved an 8‑foot special exception for a short frontage on Melrose in a separate vote that carried on the record.
Hiramoto told the board the property is a triangular, nonstandard R‑7.5 lot whose previous owner had installed a nonconforming fence and that a new pool and screening elements made the taller, solid fence desirable for privacy and safety. She provided neighborhood photos and a petition of support for parts of the proposal. Board members pressed staff and the applicant on building‑permit enforcement, plan revisions required for permitting, and whether the existing unpermitted fence could be retroactively legitimized.
The panel’s discussion focused on the statutory test for special exceptions — whether the change would adversely affect neighboring property — and the applicant’s neighborhood outreach. Members noted the unique lot shape and that no letters of opposition were filed in the city’s formal notice area. One member who had reservations about legitimizing unpermitted work nonetheless voted to grant the height request after weighing the absence of formal opposition and the applicant’s outreach.
The board imposed standard conditions requiring compliance with the most‑recent submitted plans and that revised drawings be provided for building‑inspection review before a permit would be issued. The orders will be mailed by the board administrator and become part of the public record.
The board approved the special exception to fence height by a 4–1 vote; it approved a special exception allowing a fence with less than 50 percent open area on Madera by a 5–0 vote and granted a 17‑foot front‑yard setback variance, also 5–0. The panel later approved an 8‑foot special exception for a short frontage on Melrose in a separate vote that carried on the record.
Hiramoto told the board the property is a triangular, nonstandard R‑7.5 lot whose previous owner had installed a nonconforming fence and that a new pool and screening elements made the taller, solid fence desirable for privacy and safety. She provided neighborhood photos and a petition of support for parts of the proposal. Board members pressed staff and the applicant on building‑permit enforcement, plan revisions required for permitting, and whether the existing unpermitted fence could be retroactively legitimized.
The panel’s discussion focused on the statutory test for special exceptions — whether the change would adversely affect neighboring property — and the applicant’s neighborhood outreach. Members noted the unique lot shape and that no letters of opposition were filed in the city’s formal notice area. One member who had reservations about legitimizing unpermitted work nonetheless voted to grant the height request after weighing the absence of formal opposition and the applicant’s outreach.
The board imposed standard conditions requiring compliance with the most‑recent submitted plans and that revised drawings be provided for building‑inspection review before a permit would be issued. The orders will be mailed by the board administrator and become part of the public record.
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